Gov refuses overnight stay

CEBU, Philippines - It’s final. There shall definitely be no overnight stay for families of the inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) on Christmas and New Year’s eve.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday said it would be a “nightmare and security risk” to allow such privilege following the escape of an inmate last October during visiting hours.

“Maka foresee naman ka sa risgo nganong imo man gyud tuyoan. This is a sign that after all ang gihangyo sa inmates dili gyud advisable,” Garcia said.

Garcia said that she always allows visiting hours but she won’t take the risk to have an overnight or whole day visit of the inmates’ families.

Garcia said she cannot imagine the security risk of watching over 1,600 inmates plus the number of each member of their families.

“I took it as a signal nga makapuga man gani panahon nga limitado ra ang panahon nga daghang pamilya nga nibisita sa daghang mga inmates, unsa na kaha og i-extend pa na ang visitation hours unya tibuok gabii magkuyog, pwerteng daghana ang naa sa sulod, daghan bantayan,” she said.

During her birthday, Garcia visited the CPDRC inmates who expressed to hear their wish to have their families stay with them overnight on December 24 and December 31.

Garcia then asked Capitol consultant on security retired Col. Cesar Veloso and Jail Warden Alger Commendador to find ways on how to handle the logistical problem before the wish would be granted.

Even before making the decision, inmate Renante “Bolatik” dela Rosa, escaped but later surrendered.

Dela Rosa reportedly escaped through the back door when the guard on duty was out to take his dinner.

After passing through the back door, the suspect sneaked to the back of the jail’s kitchen unnoticed until he managed to reach tower four, which he climbed over.

Dela Rosa, 27, is a native of Sibonga town. He was brought to CPDRC on February 25, 2009 for a murder case. His escape is the first reported to have happened at CPDRC this year. 

On October 20, he was happy thinking that he would finally meet his mother again after almost three years of being jailed.

But their supposed reunion was interrupted when his mother, who came from Sibonga, was banned from entering the jail facility because she had no identification card with her.

This prompted the frustrated Dela Rosa to escape that night. (FREEMAN)